AbstractThe correspondence consists primarily of
letters from Aurelia Schrober Plath, 1906-1994, to Mary Ann Montgomery. Interfiled among
those letters are carbon copies of Dr. Montgomery's letters to Mrs. Plath. Other
correspondents present in the collection are Bill and Hillary Clinton and other White
House officials, and poet Robert Lax. A folder of miscellaneous letters includes one
each from artist Norman Rockwell, poet Allen Ginsberg, and opera singer Beverly Sills,
as well as an undated autograph note from Mlle. Marie d'Agoult, mistress to
nineteenth-century composer Franz Liszt. Additions to the correspondence include a copy
of Dr. Montgomery's autobiography and dissertation, and six albums containing notes,
photographs, awards, memorabilia and writings.

Administrative Information

Access RestrictionsThis collection is open for research.

Acquisition InformationGift. 1999, 2008

Usage RestrictionsPrior arrangements are not necessary before coming to the Library, however, patrons
from out of town are encouraged to communicate with the Library in advance of their
visits to ascertain availability of materials.

Photocopying permitted only with permission of the Curator of Manuscripts, Lilly
Library.

Biographical NoteMary Ann (Budzinski) Montgomery was born in Detroit, Michigan, began college in
Toledo, Ohio but entered a convent and took her vows before matriculating. She earned
her Bachelor of Music degree from Mary Manse College in 1959 and a Masters in Music
at the University of Michigan in 1964, having left the convent the previous year.
Following a teaching period in Michigan and a ten year marriage to Robert R.
Montgomery, she settled in California and taught piano and voice in a private studio
and music at the University of California, San Diego. After taking her Ph.D. in
comparative arts in 1989, she took a teaching position at Stephens College in
Columbia, Missouri. In 1998 she retired to the Oregon coast, where she remains
today.

Other correspondents present in the collection are Bill and Hillary Clinton and other
White House officials; and poet Robert Lax. A folder of miscellaneous letters includes
one each from artist Norman Rockwell, poet Allen Ginsberg, and opera singer Beverly
Sills. Also in this latter folder is an undated autograph note from Mlle. Marie
d'Agoult, mistress to nineteenth-century composer Franz Liszt, to an unidentified
"mademoiselle" inquiring about the health of Madame Coignet. The note was purchased by
Dr. Montgomery at some point from an autograph dealer. Additions to the correspondence
include a copy of Dr. Montgomery's autobiography and dissertation, and six albums
containing notes, photographs, awards, memorabilia and writings.

Arrangement/Organization

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
IUCAT, the IU Libraries' online
catalog. Materials about related topics, persons or places can be found by searching the
catalog using these terms.

Names

Montgomery, Mary Ann, 1931-

Plath, Aurelia Schrober.

Clinton, Bill, 1946-

Clinton, Hillary
Rodham.

Lax, Robert.

Rockwell, Norman, 1894-1978.

Ginsberg, Allen, 1926-

Sills, Beverly.

Series:Correspondence, 1975-1996

Box 1Folder 1Clinton, Bill and Hillary, and other White House officials, 1994-1996

7 items

Box 1Folder 2Lax, Robert, 1984-1993

15 items

Box 1Folder 3-8Plath, Aurelia S., 1978-1989

88 items

Box 1Folder 9Miscellaneous correspondents, including:

Norman Rockwell, to Dr. and Mrs. Montgomery, Sept. 10, 1975

(T.L.S.)

Allen Ginsberg, to Mary Ann Montgomery, July 21, 1978

(A.L.S.)

Beverly Sills to Ms. Montgomery, post marked, Nov. 16, 1992

(A.L.S.)

Marie d'Agoult to Mademoiselle, undated,

(A.L.S.)

Series:Additions, 1931-2004

Box 2Autobiography. In grey binder

Albums.

Include notes, photographs, awards, memorabilia, writings.

Arranged in chronological order:

#1: 1931-1963

#2: 1963-1980

#3: 1981-1989

Dissertation, 1989:
The Condition of Music: Poetic and Musical
Structures.